Exercise Prescription in Cardiac Rehabilitation
Percutaneous Coronary Intervention, Myocardial Infarction, Coronary Artery Bypass Graft
About this trial
This is an interventional treatment trial for Percutaneous Coronary Intervention focused on measuring Graded exercise testing, Cardiac rehab, Exercise Prescription, Target heart rate range, RPE
Eligibility Criteria
Inclusion Criteria:
- Patients who are referred with an eligible diagnosis to CR.
- Patients with myocardial infarction, percutaneous coronary intervention, or bypass surgery
Exclusion Criteria:
- Permanent Atrial fibrillation, as this would interfere with using a target heart rate range during cardiac rehabilitation.
- Patients with pacemakers, as the polar heart rate monitor interferes with pacing lines on the telemetry system.
- Stable angina, as chest pain could become a limiting factor as exercise training progresses, rather than using target heart rates.
- Patients with high risk unrevascularized coronary artery disease including left main coronary disease >60% or proximal left anterior descending artery (LAD) >80%, per the discretion of the medical director.
- Patients with heart transplant or left-ventricular assist device, as heart rates can be inaccurate and difficult to measure.
- Patients who plan to attend fewer than 12 sessions of CR, for reasons that might include need to return to work, high copays, transportation, lack of insurance, or lack of interest in the program.
- Patients who join the Baystate CR program after having completed more than 3 sessions of CR at a different CR program.
- Major orthopedic limitations to exercise, such as history of amputation or exercise-limiting joint pain, or inability to walk on a treadmill, because all patients will have to complete a stress test on a treadmill and objective data collected during CR will be recorded during treadmill exercise.
- Patients who plan to undergo a clinically indicated stress test in the next 3 months as this would potentially interfere with the exercise prescription in the control group.
- Any elective hospitalization or revascularization procedure (such as PCI or CABG) that are planned to occur in the next 3 months. These could interrupt exercise training or change target heart rate ranges.
- Any other condition in which exercise training or exercise testing would be contraindicated such as severe uncontrolled hypertension, diabetes, arrhythmia, or severe valvular disease, as determined by the Medical Director of Cardiac Rehabilitation.
- Any other condition that would prohibit adherence to study protocols, such as active drug use, or untreated mental health conditions that would interfere with following instructions.
- Patients judged to be at very high or high-risk of early drop-out, per current program risk stratification
Sites / Locations
- Baystate Medical Center
Arms of the Study
Arm 1
Arm 2
Arm 3
No Intervention
Experimental
Experimental
Control Group Procedures (RPE based exercise)
Exercise Test and Heart Rate Range
Exercise Test, Heart Rate Range, and Heart Rate Monitor
Patients in the control group will follow standard exercise prescription protocols in CR. Exercise intensity will be guided by the patient's reported rating of perceived exertion (RPE). The modified Borg scale will be used by the patients to determine their RPE. Therefore, a scale of 1-10 will be used. The general goal will be to exercise between intensity level 3 or 4 (i.e. moderate intensity), per current program standards. Based on exercise levels achieved on the first day, patients will be given exercise recommendations for their 2nd session of CR and so forth. As the patients progress in CR, patients will increase their time, intensity, and mode of exercise as appropriate. Exercise progression will be guided by RPE and clinical assessment.
Patients randomly assigned to this group will complete a graded exercise test (GXT) per standard protocols. The researchers will obtain the patients peak heart rate from this stress test. Obtaining an accurate peak heart rate will allow for the calculation of a target heart rate range (THRR) using the Karvonen formula. Based upon the Karvonen formula, the THRR will be between 60-80% of the patient's heart rate reserve. The Karvonen formula can be calculated as follows ((peak heart rate - resting heart rate) X % intensity (0.6 or 0.8) + resting heart rate)). An example would be: (155 -75) X (.6) + 75) = 123; ((155 - 75) X (.8) + 75 = 139) THRR: 123 - 139. Patients will then adjust their exercise intensity to match this target heart rate range for the duration of their time in cardiac rehabilitation. Cardiac rehabilitation staff will provide feedback about heart rate when they are able.
Patients randomly assigned to this group will also undergo a stress test (GXT) and exercise within a target heart rate range (THRR) during cardiac rehabilitation comparable to second arm of the trial. Additionally, they will receive a personal heart rate monitor (HRM). This monitor will consist of a polar heart rate chest strap and polar watch. Patients will be asked to wear this during cardiac rehabilitation and adjust their own exercise intensity. This will provide continuous feedback to the patient about their heart rate. Cardiac rehabilitation staff will also provide feedback when available. The investigators are using the heart rate monitors because cardiac rehab staff are not always able to adjust exercise intensity for all patients, and telemetry is not always used.